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Serial founder effects slow range expansion in an invasive social insect
Thomas Hagan1, Guiling Ding2,3, Gabriele Buchmann2
1Behaviour, Ecology and Evolution Lab, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia. thmh6@umsl.edu.
Nature Communications
|April 29, 2024
Summary
Founder effects reduce genetic diversity in invasive species, slowing their spread. Asian honey bee (Apis cerana) range edges show lower diversity and brood viability, confirming genetic load impacts expansion rates.
Area of Science:
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
- Population Genetics
- Invasive Species Research
Background:
- Invasive populations often exhibit founder effects, leading to reduced genetic diversity compared to source populations.
- Theoretical models suggest that secondary founder effects at advancing range edges can further decrease genetic diversity and increase genetic load, potentially impacting expansion rates.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of founder effects and genetic load on the expansion rate of invasive Asian honey bee (Apis cerana) populations.
- To determine if genetic diversity is lowest at the range edges of invasive Apis cerana populations.
- To assess the relationship between genetic diversity at the complementary sex determiner (csd) locus and brood viability in Apis cerana colonies.
Main Methods:
- Empirical sampling of Apis cerana populations across their invasive range to assess genetic diversity.
- Analysis of genetic diversity at the complementary sex determiner (csd) locus, a known homozygous-lethal gene.
- Measurement of brood viability in colonies located at the range center versus range edges.
- Computer simulations modeling the expansion of a newly founded honey bee population to corroborate empirical findings.
Main Results:
- Genetic diversity in the invasive Apis cerana population was lowest at the range edges.
- The complementary sex determiner (csd) locus showed reduced diversity at range edges.
- Colonies at range edges exhibited significantly lower brood viability compared to colonies at the range center.
- Simulations confirmed that genetic load at range edges slows population expansion rates.
Conclusions:
- Reduced genetic diversity and increased genetic load at the advancing range edges of invasive Apis cerana populations negatively impact colony fitness.
- These findings support the theory that genetic load can impede the rate of population expansion in invasive species.
- The study highlights the importance of considering genetic factors in understanding and predicting invasive species dynamics.
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